Quince wood - fine and fragrant

I ended up looking for information about quince wood based on a question from a reader whose hobby is pipe making. He told me that he uses cherrywalnut, oak or plum, and for the mouthpiece, dud or rose. He asked me if he could use dried fig or quince twigs for a mouthpiece. He feared that in the presence of the hot tobacco smoke, they might become toxic. About fig wood I knew it had a latex content that causes skin irritation. This is why the wood must be dried thoroughly before use. But I didn't know why quince wood would be dangerous. So I started looking for information about a wood that has been little written about, but which has a lot of legends about the yellow fruit that perfumed my grandparents' house.

Is quince wood toxic or not

I have not found any sources that say quince wood is toxic. But I did find information about its use as firewood or for smoking chicken, pork, beef and fish. A forum for animal lovers included it in the list of safe species. For example, the forum's experts recommended using quince twigs, after they have been washed to remove dirt, to make parrot roosting.

The only references on toxicity refer to quince seeds containing toxic substances called nitriles. These, under the action of enzymes in the stomach, are transformed into hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid), a highly toxic gas with a bitter almond-like odor. Although this sounds very dangerous, it is not, as the same substances are found in apple and hairs, fruit trees of the family Rosaceae, which includes quince. The seeds are only dangerous in very, very large quantities.

The fruit of sin, symbol of love, strengthener of power

About quince (Cydonia oblonga) there are lots of myths, symbols and legends. Many come from Greece, where quince has been cultivated on the island of Crete since ancient times. In fact, the Latin name comes from a village in Crete, Kidonia. In ancient times, the quince symbolized love, joy, protection, marriage, happiness and fertility. Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, often held a quince in her hand as a symbol of love and fertility. Greek young men used to give quinces to their guests when they got married, and the bride would bite from the quince to perfume her kiss.

Jewish mythology claims that the serpent did not tempt Eve with an apple but with a quince. The confusion stems from the fact that the quince is called the golden apple, in the Bible. Some sources claim that apple trees had not acclimatized in the area at that time, so it could only be quince, which is native to the region. In the Muslim faith, the Prophet Muhammad is said to have urged his followers to eat quinces because they sweeten the heart. He also claimed that Allah did not send any prophet as his messenger before he fed him with Paradise Goo to increase its power.

The Romans also considered the quince a symbol of love, and Pliny the Elder praised the medicinal properties of quince leaves and fruit in his writings. There are also writings from Roman times with recipes for quince with honey and other delicacies.

A fruit tree that can bear hard, fragrant fruit for 25 years

Gutuiul - fifteen (English), quince (Italian), cognossier (French), even (German) - comes from West Asia. The area of origin is around the Caucasus - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Southwest Russia, Turkmenistan. It has a long history of cultivation being mentioned in documents going back more than 4000 years. In Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq, quince was cultivated long before apple. From these areas it spread to Europe and then all over the world. It is related to the Chinese quince (Pseudosydonia sinensis), but they are different genres.

It is a sun-loving fruit tree that prefers sun and fertile, well-drained soils, and returns. It thrives well in a temperature range of 10-30°C, and to flower the temperature should not be below 7°C. The flowering period is in May, after it has flowered. It grows slowly, bears fruit for 25 years and lives for around 50. Propagates mainly by grafting, rarely from seed.

The quince grows 4-6 m tall but can reach up to 8 m. Several stalks grow from the base and only one needs to be left to fruit well. The trunk does not grow very thick, and the bark is grayish-greenish-grayish-gray, thin and sensitive, and can be easily injured. The crown is quite rich and irregular, with branches that can grow twisted and broad, simple oval leaves with the surface covered with fine hairs. The flowers are white or pink, solitary, with 5 petals. The fruit, quince, is yellow when ripe and covered with fine hairs. It is oval-round in shape, hard, astringent and very flavorful. It has a high pectin content, making it easy to make marmalades and jams, which gel quickly.

Wood - characteristics, properties

In cross section through the trunk of the quince we can see the difference between the sapwood and the heartwood. The sapwood is very light pale yellow to white. The heartwood has a rich range of color from light yellow to deep reddish brown. The annual rings are inconspicuous but distinct and close together due to slow growth.

The texture is smooth, like hairwoodgenerally straight, with a discreet sheen. The tw tw twisted branches show distinctive patterns created by the rich color. The pores are small and spread evenly throughout the annual ring. The wide medullary rays can form maple-like patterns.

Quince wood takes a long time to dry and cracking and warping can occur. The wood is hard, strong and firm, yet supple and easy to work. It can be carved and turned. It polishes, waxes and varnishes easily and the results are spectacular. It glues smoothly.

Very good for knife handles, but also for smoking meat

Thanks to its fine texture and warm colors, quince wood has been used for centuries to make inlays for furniture, art and craft products, knife handles, but also for household or decorative objects. Even now it is used by hobbyists to make handles for collectible knives or spoons. But it is very hard to find and therefore quite expensive. The easier-to-find Chinese version is used to make turntables, musical instruments and frames.

Quince wood can also be used as firewood. It has a higher calorific value than spruce, pine or green ash. But it must be well dried first, otherwise it gives off smoke and sparks. If well dried, it burns for a long time. It becomes harder and harder as it dries, so it is advisable to cut it (the trunk or branches) as soon as it has been cut. When burning it gives off a pleasant smell, like any fruit tree.

Can also be used to smoking food. When dry it does not smoke much, so it can be used indoors without any problems. The smoke has a slightly sweet, fruity and spicy fragrance. The flavor it imparts is subtle, best suited to mildly flavored ingredients. It is ideal for smoking foods such as chicken, pork, beef or fish.

Like any fruit tree, quince is important for its fruit, not its wood. The quince is used for jams and marmalades, but also for cooking. Quince and apple sauce goes very well with roast pork or duck in the fall, and cooked quince slices go well with roast goose. Gout is also used in herbal medicine as a good remedy for nausea in early pregnancy or to cure digestive disorders.

I hope you find the above information useful. As always, additions are welcome. And if you have any questions or queries, please leave them below in the space provided. I will be sure to reply.

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